We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ally Ponte and Kelly Schur a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ally Ponte, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Thanks so much for having us. It’s an honor to share our story with the CanvasRebel readers. Being entrepreneurs and business owners invariably involves a certain degree of risk. Some called us risky, others called us crazy, but we decided to open a brand new fitness studio in the middle of the pandemic. While many facilities were closing their doors to the public we opened ours, carefully and safely. Despite the circumstances and challenging times, we knew we had to offer hybrid wellness options rather than a 100% virtual fitness environment. After only being open a few months, Vibe Fitness Studio was nominated and then awarded Best Fitness Center for Forsyth County 2022.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure! As BFF’s and entrepreneurs, Kelly and I created our company, Vibe Fitness, Inc® in 2013 with the purpose of helping people live their best dance life, get fit and have fun. Our mission has always remained the same…to enhance the overall health, wellness and quality of life through an innovative and inclusive approach to movement which results in positive changes for everybody and every body.

After three decades in the fitness and studio dance industries, we have the privilege of providing wellness through fitness education, instruction, programs and special events for both consumers and professionals. Our award winning boutique studio is located north of Atlanta with daily in-person, LIVEStream and On Demand classes.

We are incredibly passionate about the participant experience. CommUNITY has always been the heartbeat of our company. We are builders and uniters who value diversity, inclusion and acceptance. Our space is filled with love, positivity and abundance of good VIBES.

Throughout our careers, we have worked for many different companies, studios and fitness facilities. Each experience has been a valuable stepping stone in the path to launch our own studio. The opportunity to live out our personal and professional vision on a daily basis has been a dream come true. It is an honor to be trusted with the wellness transformation process. We are extremely grateful to walk (or in our case…dance) alongside our participants who are making positive changes on their journey to a healthier lifestyle and having fun along the way.

We really enjoy flooding the dance floor with love, laughter and memories that last a lifetime. Whether we are teaching dance fitness classes in the studio or online, creating a custom flash mob, conducting GNO dance parties, wedding reception choreography, providing corporate wellness, training new instructors, or cutting up on TikTok, we are grateful to “get” to do it together.

Let’s talk about resilience next – Kelly Schur, do you have a story you can share with us?

Sure. I’d love to talk about resilience. Honestly, it’s one of the most important character traits of every entrepreneur. You may have heard the quote, “the path to success is not a straight line.” Whether you learned the Webster’s dictionary definition of pivot, the dance definition of a pivot or the classic Friends episode of “PIVOT”; the ability to change directions to adapt to the demands of the business is a skill many entrepreneurs have to do at one point or another in their career. It takes strength to remain flexible and persevere through difficult situations while remaining unapologetically passionate. This unshakeable purpose allows us to stand back up, dust ourselves off and learn from each experience. Additionally, it fosters innovation, creativity and new opportunities.

Creating our own path has been an amazing journey. Reflecting back over the last 10 years, there have been many times where we had to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable. Each trial was an opportunity to pivot, to learn and ultimately to grow. From Ally’s breast cancer diagnosis and recovery, to the surrender of the contract for our dream studio when Covid hit, we remained steadfast in our faith in God’s purpose in our passion. We have always remained forward thinkers who know our why, trust in the process, and continue to drive onward with focus, determination….and patience.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The big secret to growing clientele is not so secret after all….just be yourself. As small business owners you have something nobody else has…YOU! Being authentic can take time to fully embrace when the market is competitive. However, in a society when convenience and choice are at the fingertips of every consumer, your VIBE is what sets your company apart from the others.

As best friends and business owners, our friendship extends right into our community. Our inclusive nature nurtures these relationships, and places high value on acceptance and unity. We are living, experiencing and doing life right alongside our clients. Celebrating the good times and leaning in through the tough times, all while working towards the ultimate goal of health and wellness for mind, body and spirit.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.experiencevibefitness.com
• Instagram: @experiencevibefitness
• Facebook: @experiencevibefitness
• Linkedin: Vibe Fitness, Inc
• Twitter: @experiencevibe
• Youtube: @ExperienceVibeFitness
• Yelp: Vibe Fitness Studio
• Other: TikTok: @experiencevibefitness Pinterest: @experiencevibe

Image Credits
@taylormariephoto @marykirschphotography